Leinster beginning to click for Cheika

Leinster 30 Ulster 23

Saturday’s rip-roaring tête-à-tête with Ulster at Donnybrook indicates the Australian is well ahead of schedule.

The visitors came with an unbeaten start to the season that incorporated their first two victories ever in the principality of Wales and, thanks to some clumsy defending by Denis Hickie, they were 7-0 up inside three minutes.

Leinster coughed up another easy five points 12 minutes from the end although such largesse wasn’t enough to secure an Ulster victory. Their indiscretions in defence - and ongoing problems at the lineout, where Bernard Jackman struggled badly - will be of concern, but Cheika has been visibly thrilled at his side’s refusal to hang their heads.

“That’s every week with us now. Every week we’ve gone behind in the first five or ten minutes. Every week they’re hanging in. I don’t know about last year but this year these blokes have got character. They don’t want to lose.”

Solid in the scrum, Leinster were more threatening with ball in hand as well while young winger Robert Kearney added to his reputation.

“I was very happy with the first 25 of the second half. We said at half-time that we wanted to play a certain way and they went out there and did it and that’s the first time that we’ve really done that with a bit of consistency,” added Cheika.

“We’ve gotta go out there and do that for longer now to beat Munster next week. We’ve been trying to do that but we’ve had some individual inaccuracies. It’s a bit less every week and we’re pushing that bit harder every week.”

After all the gloom surrounding the summer departures and the foreboding over Brian O’Driscoll’s future, things are undoubtedly looking up for Leinster. This week’s appointment in Munster will test their new-found strength all the more after which they move house to the RDS for the Celtic League tie with Jonah Lomu’s Cardiff and the Heineken Cup opener against Bath.

“We’ve had a good feeling since day one but it’s about building a bit of belief in ourselves too. I won’t say that that’s just appeared all of a sudden but, with effort and with work, we’re getting better as individuals and as a team. That will build belief and self-confidence. Another step towards that is going down to Munster next week and winning.”

Eric Miller and Gordon D’Arcy had their first taste of action this season from the bench and both caught the eye, Miller with a combative 40 minutes and D’Arcy with an awesome vignette that saw him almost score with his first touch of the ball.

Shane Horgan in the centre was a rampaging presence in his first start of the season, while Hickie recovered from his early fumble to score the match-winning try five minutes from time.

Leinster were expected to suffer a hangover from the departure of David Holwell but Cheika was effusive of Christian Warner’s display at number 10 while Felipe Contepomi is like a man reborn converting seven from eight kicks and contributing effectively from play from his berth alongside Horgan.

Encouragingly, they seem to be fronting up in the pack as well. Will Green accepted the man of the match award afterwards, Bryce Williams didn’t seem to suffer from any jet lag he might have been feeling since his arrival seven days ago display while Keith Gleeson confirmed his return to form after injury with an electric display.

All that and still two blokes called O’Driscoll and O’Kelly to come back.

Scorers: Leinster: Tries: Potts, Hickie. Penalties: Contepomi 6. Conversions: Contepomi. Ulster: Tries; Wallace, N Best. Penalties: Humphreys 3. Conversions: Humphreys 2.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey, D Hickie, S Horgan, F Contepomi, R Kearney, C Warner, G Easterby; R Corrigan, B Jackman, W Green, B Williams, B Gissing, C Potts, K Gleeson, J Heaslip. Replacements: B O’Meara for Easterby, 34, E Miller for Potts, 40, D Blaney for Jackman, D Dillon for Gissing, G D’Arcy for Kearney, 69, R McCormack for Green, 80.

ULSTER: P Wallace, T Bowe, A Trimble, K Maggs, J Topping, D Humphreys, K Campbell; J Fitzpatrick, R Best, S Best, J Harrison, M McCullough, N Best, N McMillan, R Wilson. Replacements: B Young for McCullough, R Frost for Fitzpatrick, both 61, T Howe for Topping, 63, J Fitzpatrick for Wilson, 82.

Referee: O Trevor (IRFU).